Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-01-06
A WINTER MORNING HORROR.
A b. & O Fast Train Wrecked Near
About Twenty Persons
Killed Outright and
Roasted.

Killed Outright and
Roasted.
A terrible disas and loss Of life oc+
CURED on the B & o road near Tifin,
early on Tuesday morning. by collision
between the fast passenger train pass
ing 3ellaire about p N. and freight.
Over twenty lives were lost among
them that of express messenger. W )
Pierce, of Grafton. W. Va. A number
of passengers from Bellaire we're on the
wrecked train, among them Miss Minnie
Hoffman. aud all are reported safe. Mr.
D T Cowen. formerly of this place. was
also a passenger and escaped uDhurt-
The excitement at Bellaire and Wheel
ing was intense, until definite informal
ton as to the casualties was reported.
Among those saved from the wreck was
mother named Postlethwaite, of Bur>
ton. W Va, and three little children who
with husband and five children were en-
route west The husband and the two
elder children were caugat in the wreck
and burned in the car. Below is the
Cleveland Leaders dispatch, giving an
account of the terrible holocaust:
CLEVELAND. O., January A special
dispatch TO the Cleveland Leader from
TItli0, O., gives the following graphic ac-
count of the collision. One of the most
horrible and heartrenderlng accidents
ever chronicied occurred near Republic,
about eight Iniirs east OF here, at
O'Clock this morning. At o'clock an
east-bound freight train, in charge of
Conductor Fletcher, pulled out of this
city, having received orders to side
track at the Scipio siding, to allow
the east bound express to pass. After
the passenger train bad gone the con-
ducter, being without special orders, ex.
ercised his own judgement. and deter
mine that, inasmuch as he had half an
hour to make the switch at Republic. a
little less than five miles distant, before
the arrival of, the fast experts from the
East, due at that poiut at 2 O'Clock, be
pulled out. The night was bitter cold
|
keeping up steam in the engine. Final.
,,Iy, at point half mile west of Republic,
the train came to d standstill. being un+
able TO move further. Just here was
made
THE HORRIBLE MISTAKE,
which resulted in the loss of many lives,
| and the destruction OF thousands of dol
lars worth of property. Although the
conductor must have known that be
was encrOachiug dangerously near the
time of the express, he dij not send our
signal until after his train had come
10 a standStill and he found it impOssi.
ole to move further. He then started
forward with the lantern himself. At
this point there is Sharp curve. and
Conductor Fletcher had not proceeded
more than the length of twenty cars
when be saw the headlight of the ap-
preaching express rounding the curve,
not more than forty yards distant, and
running at the lightning speed of
sIxTY-THREE MILES PER HOUR.
Horror stricken with the knowledge
that frightful accident could not be
averted, be flashed his light in the face
of the engineer, Lem Eastman. The lat
ter at the same moment saw the light of
the freight engine, AMI giving wild
Shrek of the whistle for brakes be re
versed his engine, and jumped for his
life, crashing through the window Of
the cab, carrying glass and sash with
him alighted in heavy snow drift. He
escaped serious injury. his hurts being
confined to slight wound upon the
knee. AS he realized the danger, he
called to his fireman, VIM Fredericks. to
save himself The latter was engaged
in stoking the FIRE and raised up and hes
itated moment to glance forward as if
to estimate the danger. This was fatal,
rs at that instant The crash came and
poor Fredericks was pinned and crushed
by the mass of the wreck.
The effect of the collision can be bet
ter imagined than described. The en-
Igines of the two trains reared into the
air like pair of enraged living mons
sters. and then settled down upon the
track, driven into each other until the
|cyliDders touched. In less than five
minutes from the moment of the colliS-
ion. and before any organized effort at
rescue could be made, the ire of the
overturned stoves communicated TO the
wood work and the flames leaped high in
the air, their roar mingled with the
cries of anguish of the imprisoned vic
Tins to whom death in its most terrible
form was horrid presence. The train
men and uninjured passengers were
powerless. and could do nothing to
rescue she sufferers.
TIE CREW.
The express train was in charge of
Conductor Tom Heskett. Engineer Lem
Eastman and fireman Wm. Frederick,
aud consisted of an engine, No. 729, a
mail and baggage car. express, smoker
coach and two Sleepers.
The freight train was in charge of.
Conductor Fletcher, Engineer Killer and
Fireman W J Cullison, and consisted Of
engine Noses. and 16 loaded and few
empty gondOlas The smoker contained
from II to Is passengers, some of whom
were immigrants. Three men escaped
alive, but their names were not learned E.
-
G1LERAHN.